They are lured by the quieter lifestyle and safer environment in the Ozarks, Salem said.

Yolanda Lorge, president of Grupo Latinoamericano, said the majority of the Hispanic growth in the past decade came from birth.

Take Cruz Rodriguez, the brother-in-law of Petra Rodriguez, for example. He became a grandfather seven years ago. Now he has six grandchildren, and the youngest is about one month old.

"More welcoming"

Wes Pratt, an African-American who moved back to Springfield in 2007, says the minority group has found the local community more appealing than before, as it now has more to offer.

"Overall, people are looking at Springfield as a place to raise family," said Pratt, who works for Missouri State University.

"There are more positive attributes about Springfield," Pratt said. "It's more welcoming to all folks."

Asian, Pacific growth

In the very southwest corner of Missouri, the Asian population surged because of an influx of Hmong families, who have found the hilly topography and milder climate of the Ozarks more desirable than Wisconsin or Minnesota -- states where Hmong have historically settled.

Most Hmong families raise chicken for poultry processors such as Tyson, George's and Simmons.

In McDonald and Newton counties, immigrant numbers from islands in the North Pacific have made gains.

In McDonald County, the number of native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders grew by 760 percent to 258, up from mere 30 in 2000.

In Newton County, the population went up by 250 percent to 507.

In Greene County, the Asian population grew by 1,815 people, or 66.73 percent.

In part, the growth came from the expanded Chinese student body at Missouri State University.

In fall 2000, the Springfield campus had 21 Chinese students. A decade later, the number soared to 691, said Don Simpson, associated vice president for enrollment management at Missouri State.

The university has a branch campus in Dalian, China, which is growing and keeps feeding Chinese students to the school's main campus in Springfield.